How to get six-pack abs

A workout plan for an hour or so, six days a week can help you get a lean, muscular body with washboard abs.

Photographs: Pablo TorresCosta/Creative Commons

Somesh Diwan, 29, works with a multinational company in Gurgaon. His day is busy but he never compromises on exercise.

He has been working hard to achieve an enviable abdomen but is somehow falling short.

While there are innumerable training regimes that can be followed for the desired result, here is one that is known to work.

It should, however, be attempted only under the supervision of a qualified trainer to avoid injury.

The latest trend is to attain a lean, muscular body that boasts of washboard abs. A workout plan for an hour or so, six days a week can help achieve this.

Keep aside one day for complete rest and recovery.

The plan is to train your body in strength and endurance for four days and functional and core training for two days.

The key to success is not to take more than 30 seconds of rest and to stretch the respective body parts after each set.

Day 1

Start with 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, which includes running on the treadmill, paddling elliptical or cycling. This is to be followed by the other exercises in a repetition of 12 and further divided into three equal sets. It includes barbell shoulder press, side lateral, upright row, barbell bench press, dumbbell flys, incline dumbbell press, tricep dips parallel bars, skull crusher and pulley pushdown.

A cardiovascular regime, including 15 minutes of workout on a rowing machine, is how you end the day.

Tip: The focus in strength training has to be on challenging our muscles with appropriate weights.

The cardiovascular exercises should be done at a steady heart rate of 65-70 per cent of maximum heart rate, or MHR.

Day 2

Start with the air squat followed by front squat, leg extension, chin ups, low rows, lat pull down, barbell bicep curl, hammer curl and concentration curl. All exercises should be done in a repetition of 12 in three sets. End the day with 30 minutes of cycling.

Tip: The cardiovascular exercises should be done at high intensity interval training (HIIT) mode.

Day 3: Functional and core training

Begin with a two-minute warm-up with on-the-spot running, followed by single under (skipping) and mountain climber.

Follow it up with these exercises according to the repetitions mentioned in two sets:

Burpees X 10

Pull ups X 10

Plank X 1 minute

Hip Bridges X 10

Inverted Row X 10

Star Plank X 1 minute

Bulgarian Split Squat X 10

Suspended TRX Pushup X 10

Prone Back Extension X 10

Pike Pushup X 10

Swiss Ball Rollout X 10

Tip: The average heart rate should stay up to 70 per cent of MHR during the entire workout.

Day 4: Rest

You could try foam rolling, yoga, stretching or deep tissue massage.

Day 5

Start with 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercises (at 60-65 per cent of MHR). Follow it up with pushups, alternate dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell 'T' rows, incline barbell press, pec deck fly, flat bench, dumbbell press, tricep bench dips, tricep overhead cable extension, tricep kickback. All exercises to be done in a repetition of 12 in three sets.

End the day with 15 minutes of cardiovascular exercises with rowing machine (HIIT mode)

Day 6

Start with lunges followed by deadlift, leg curl, pull ups, bent over row, high row, seated, dumbbell bicep curl and preacher curl. All exercises to be done in a repetition of 12 in three sets.

Lastly, brisk walk for 15 minutes.

Day 7: Functional and core training

Start with inchworm followed by tuck jump, bear crawl, plyometric pushup, stair climb with tricep, prone walkout, plank to pushup, lunge to row and single leg deadlift.

Core category workout: flutter kick, side plank, Russian twist, double leg abdominal press and sprinter sit up.

Tip: The average heart rate should stay up to 75 per cent of MHR during the entire workout.

Phiroj is assistant fitness manager, Fitness First.